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Temporary route near St. Maries

New temporary road for Idaho 5 opens early             

Completing a new temporary route east of Plummer and west of St. Maries earlier than expected, the Idaho Transportation Department District 1 Office gave motorists a detour around a section of Idaho State Highway 5 recently decimated by moisture under the road and slides. See picture below

The new 500-foot-long route will open in time for the morning commute tomorrow (Wednesday, March 29), with temporary signals at each end of the route guiding traffic. A solid concrete guardrail was placed on the edge to safeguard drivers The temporary route will be paved Friday night.

Work on the temporary route began last Thursday (March 23). Crews placed a rock base, rolled it to compact the base, placed a layer of top fill gravel and dirt, and hydroseeded the cleared area.

The temporary route will remain in place as Idaho 5 is rebuilt over the next several months. The larger reconstruction will likely last through mid-summer, but will not begin until geologists make a determination on the stability of the road area.

Published 03-31-17